Wakela Runen's World

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Delightfully wicked read!  Emily Greenwood has created characters that will have you laughing at their antics. This is the first book that I have read by Emily Greenwood.  She had previously written A Little Night Mischief.  I definitely want to get my hands on that book. Lily Teagarden has had a rough life.  Her mother died when she was only 12 and her father relied on her to run the household.  This led Lily to become a stick-in-the-mud.  Hal decides that it should be his mission to change that.   Even though Lily is very rigid in certain ways of thinking, other things she does will have you laughing hysterically.  I loved how she was covering for the Fiend so Hal wouldn't discover the truth.  Oh and let's not forget all the craziness involving Lily's diary. I read this book in just one sitting.  I hope that Emily plans on bring

Description Stress. It is everywhere around us. Even worse, it gets inside us: sapping our energy, undermining our health, and making us more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and disease. Now, based on Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s renowned mindfulness-based stress reduction program, this groundbreaking book shows you how to use natural, medically proven methods to soothe and heal your body, mind, and spirit. By using the practices described within, you can learn to manage chronic pain resulting from illness and/or stress related disorders…discover the roles that anger and tension play in heart disease… reduce anxiety and feelings of panic…improve overall quality of life and relationships through mindfulness meditation and mindful yoga. More timely than ever before , Full Catastrophe Living is a book for the young and the old, the well, the ill, and anyone trying to live a healthier and saner life in today’s world. Jon Kabat-Zinn , Ph.D ., is the founding director of the Stress Reduction

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Brack Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Whether you are love history or a photography buff, this book is definitely one to pick up and cherish. This book takes a look at the White House photographers throughout the years.  Many of them have taken photographs that will always be burned in our brains as part of US history and culture.  Everyone has seen the iconic picture of Abraham Lincoln that was taken by Matthew Brady.  However, did you know that during the civil war, Brady was out in the thick of the battles with his "mobile" dark room and his camera attempting to capture that part of history on film.  Not only was he doing this, but Lincoln basically gave Brady the first ever press pass. This is just one example of behind the scenes history that you will learn while reading this book.  And let's not forget being able to see memorable pictures of each presidency since then.  

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Anyone who has been following politics and social reform issues for the past decade is aware of the ongoing fight to legalize same sex marriages.  Not only in the US, but in other countries as well.  One of the biggest proponents for allowing this tidal wave of change is the media.  And not just mainstream media either.  Social media plays an important part as well. This book focuses on how the media has played an active role in allowing people’s views to come forward about same sex marriage and to help gas up the engines of change.  But this book is so much more then that.  It also showcases the Gay Rights movement from the very beginnings.  Some of the pieces that are portrayed in it are heart wrenching.  While others are heart warming.   If you ever wanted to read a history of the Gay Rights movement and how media played a role in its progress, then

Description A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker. -- the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year. In "Once Upon a Jingle Bell," A Bah! Humbug cruise to the Mexican Riviera is Joss Snow’s answer to this year’s quest to avoid the holidays completely; at least until she’s rebooked on a different kind of cruise altogether. Candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and ornaments seem to be stalking her on the 12 Days of Christmas holiday cruise extravaganza. An escape back to land is her only goal . . . until she meets a kindred spirit in rugged Irishman Patrick Brenneman, and then the game is on! Avoid Christmas festivities at all costs . . . except maybe for that one stop under the mistletoe. In "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer," Reese’s guilt over abandoning best friend Joss on their holiday tradition of avoiding all things Christmas is tru

  Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. Oh how I wished I would have known about this series earlier!  The main character, Rose, was raised in a snooty upper class home.  She didn't like the lifestyle, so against her mother's pleas, she left it and started working as a waitress in a diner.  Through her job as a waitress, she has run into a wide range of interesting people. This book actually had two concurrent mysteries that Rose attempts to solve.  First and foremost is the mystery of who killed Delia.  The second is the case of who stole the replica Starfleet uniform that was autographed by William Shatner. Being a huge Star Trek fan (and yes, I dressed up in costume for conventions), the second case was a purely magical bonus for me.  I had previously belonged to the real StarFleet Fan Club and KLAW.  In the book they are SPuRTs and KAW.  But yes, I could definitely see many of

Description A feminist film critic’s thoughtful, outspoken memoir about transgender and family On a visit to New York, the brother of well-known film critic Molly Haskell dropped a bombshell: Nearing age sixty, and married, he had decided to become a woman. In the vein of Jan Morris’s classic Conundrum and Jennifer Finney Boylan's She's Not There, a transgender memoir, Haskell’s My Brother My Sister gracefully explores a delicate subject, this time from the perspective of a family member. Haskell chronicles her brother Chevey’s transformation through a series of psychological evaluations, grueling surgeries, drug regimens, and comportment and fashion lessons as he becomes Ellen. Despite Haskell’s liberal views on gender roles, she was dumbfounded by her brother’s decision. With candor and compassion, she charts not only her brother’s journey to becoming her sister, but also her own path from shock, confusion, embarrassment, and devastation to acceptance, empathy, and love.